Solid surface material fabrication station

ABSTRACT

A fabrication station ( 117 ) suitable for use mobile unit ( 1 ) or as stand alone unit for fabricating solid surface construction materials is provided, as is a method of use therefor. The fabrication station is equipped with climate control units ( 23, 23   a,    123 ) fabrication equipment ( 24, 124 ) and other environment control equipment. Therefore, solid surface construction materials can be fabricated onsite or at a remote fabrication shop. In the fabrication process according to the present invention, dimensional information is laid out directly onto the solid surface material stock. The fabrication station can include an adjustable support ( 124   a ) that supports each slat support channel portion so that the position of the slat support channel portions is adjustable relative to the support wall and one another to provide a fine adjustment. The fabrication station can also include removable slat portions  124   c  to accommodate different shapes of solid surface material to fabricate. The removable slat portion can have an angled upper surface and or include a plurality of spaced holes, a clamp, a hook or a longitudinal groove. The base ( 110 ) from which the support wall ( 102 ) extends can have wheels ( 110 W) to make the unit mobile. The fabrication station can also include a timer switch ( 123   t ) for switching the heat supply units ( 123 ) on and off independently of other heat supply units and a photoelectric switch ( 142 ) for selectively opening and closing the exhaust vents.

CLAIM TO THE BENEFIT OF RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of and claims the benefit under 35U.S.C. §120 of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/962,255, filed Sep. 26,2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,729,010, which is a divisional of U.S.application Ser. No. 09/301,589, filed Apr. 29, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No.6,325,435, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No.08/952,446, filed Nov. 20, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,748 which is a§371 of PCT/US97/12560, filed Jul. 24, 1997, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/686,554, filed Jul.26, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,713.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a solid surface material fabricationstation, a mobile fabrication unit for use in fabricating solid surfacematerials, especially construction materials and a method of fabricatingsolid surface materials.

2. Description of Related Art

In recent years solid surface construction materials have becomeincreasingly popular, especially for use as a countertop surface. Theterm “solid surface” construction material refers to a number ofdifferent products, such as CORIAN by Dupont, FOUNTAINHEAD, and othersynthetic materials as well as solid surface veneer such as NUVEL byFormica and similar products sold by Wilson Art.

The fabrication of such products may be tightly controlled, for example.Dupont, for example, sells CORIAN only to certified fabricators who havefabrication shops that meet certain strict standards set by Dupont.

However, the traditional system and method for fabricating such sheetmaterials typically takes several days to complete.

First, a crew of people must take the necessary measurements for aparticular job, such as measuring out a countertop. This typicallyinvolves a process referred to as “templating,” namely, using particleboard, plywood, cardboard or other disposable material, and creating atemplate, or a pattern, for cutting the solid surface material stock asrequired. The template is then taken back to an offsite fabrication shopwhere the solid surface material is fabricated accordingly. Thethus-fabricated solid surface material is then transported back to theworksite and installed. Often, the above-described templating process isrelatively inaccurate, so measuring errors and the like occur, and mustbe compensated for in an additional onsite final fitting process.Because of this, the entire process typically requires more than oneweek to complete. This is highly problematic from the fabricator'sperspective in terms of staffing and work flow. Moreover, from thecustomer's point of view, the large amount of time and labor required isinconvenient and, indeed, disruptive. For these reasons, it is believedthat the conventional fabrication process may restrict, or evendiscourage, customers from purchasing and installing solid surfaceconstruction materials, such as CORIAN.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to develop a systemand method for faster and more efficient fabrication of solid surfacematerials. This objective is achieved by providing a fabricationstation, mobile fabrication system and a fabrication process accordingto the present invention. The fabrication station can be used as a standalone unit or as a mobile fabrication system.

The mobile fabrication system of the present invention involves a mobileunit that is either self-propelled (such as a stepvan or panel truck) oradapted to be pulled by a vehicle, such as a trailer pulled by pickuptruck or the like. The mobile unit according to the present inventioncharacteristically contains or is otherwise provided with all of theequipment necessary to fabricate solid surface construction materials.To provide a satisfactory work environment the mobile unit must haveadequate lighting, ventilation, climate control, power supply and worksurfaces. The present inventor has found that in the context of solidsurface fabrication there are certain minimum requirements for each ofthese characteristics.

Fabrication of solid surface materials in a confined area presentsseveral technical challenges. One significant example, is the need toprovide adequate ventilation while maintaining climate control, at leastin localized areas. More specifically, fabricating solid surfacematerials entails a great deal of cutting and sanding, which generatessignificant amounts of dust. This dust must be removed from the workarea. On the other hand, solid surface fabrication also requires climatecontrol, particularly in the area where the solid sheet is beingfabricated. The fabrication process is hampered if the area around thesheet material is too hot or too cold.

To remove the dust generated from fabrication from the air within thework area, large volumes of air must be moved. But, moving large volumesof air makes it difficult to control temperatures. The present inventionaddresses these conflicting requirements by providing high volumeventilation and climate control equipment and by locating such equipmentto optimize the work environment. Specifically, ventilation equipment isprovided in the area above the solid sheet material and climate controlequipment is provided in the area below the solid sheet material.

The process according to the present invention involves the unique stepof measuring out dimensional information directly onto the solid surfacematerial itself, without an intermediate template as discussed above.This is made possible because the mobile unit can be brought directly toa worksite. Therefore, the solid surface material stock can be broughtto the worksite and can be fabricated on location, rather than needingto bring a temporary, and frequently inaccurate, template back to anoffsite shop where fabrication is carried out, as in the known art. Thisincreases the accuracy and speed of fabrication.

The present invention also provides an integrated fabrication stationdesigned for use as a stand alone unit or as an integrated part of amobile fabrication trailer that includes features designed to improvework conditions on discrete sections of the work piece. With thisfabrication station design, it is possible to cool the material, sandthe material, put the material over, rout it, cut it, everything withall the necessary lighting on a single fabrication station. Thefabrication station also provides task lighting, area lighting,ventilation air coming in over the fabricator's head, and spaced exhaustvents sucking the dust out right off of the surface of the work piece.At the same time, the discrete sections of the underside or the entireunderside of the surface of the work piece can be heated, since it isknown that the adhesive material usually dries quickly with heat.

The improved fabrication station design is well suited for use in amobile fabrication trailer, but the fabrication station construction ofthe present invention is useful in other environments since certainconditions apply to all solid surface fabrication. For instance, theprocessing of the solid surface material with adhesives is speeded upand made easier if the fabricator can control the atmosphere around thesolid surface material. It is not practical to heat warehouses or shopsto the level needed to expedite drying and, even it were, doing so wouldcreate an uncomfortable work environment. Thus, the discrete heatingfeature of the present invention is highly desirable.

Moreover, it is always desirable to prevent the dust generated duringfabrication from interfering with the fabricator's breathing. Likewise,it is desirable to heat and light the material and have the fabricator'stools located near the solid surface material workpiece. Becauseclimate-type conditions (particularly temperature and air quality) canbe controlled in discrete regions of the work piece using thefabrication station of the present invention, the fabrication stationdoes not have to be enclosed. There are, however, advantages tooperating in a confined space. For example, it is easier to control dustin an enclosed environment like a trailer. Thus, the present inventionalso relates to a fabrication station construction that is adaptable toboth mobile fabrication and use in a factory or workshop environment.

In accordance with one embodiment of the fabrication station that isintended for use in a factory or shop setting, the fabrication stationsare stand alone units that include two fabrication work positionsarranged back to back. The fabrication stations can also be constructedas fabrication station modules that have a flat back so that thefabrication stations can be arranged in variety of configurations fromback-to-back to along an interior or exterior wall to “cubicle”arrangement. The stations may be provided with wheels to facilitaterelocation. In another embodiment, the stand alone unit has afabrication station on one side and storage on the other side. Inaddition, without the dimensional constraints imposed by designing thefabrication stations for use in a trailer, other designs of fabricationstations become practical. For example, the fabrication station may belengthened to include storage space as an extension of the fabricationstation. In the context of a trailer, however, the fabrication stationmay be integrated into the structure of the trailer or simply a standalone unit mounted into a trailer.

The fabrication station preferably includes vertically arrangedlongitudinally extending continuous chambers or plenums that are hollowto provide forced air passages and also provide routing for all theutilities needed. The utilities and forced air (hot, cold, fresh etc)can be generated by known devices proximate the fabrication station orsupplied from known remote sources depending on the environment in whichthe fabrication station is used. The top of the chambers can be used asa shelf and the bottom side can be used to support task lighting that isilluminating the surface of the work piece. The lower chambers arepreferable used to support adjustable rods that support slat supportchannel of the slat support. All the utilities (e.g., compressed air forpneumatic tools, vacuum supply, fuel for heat exchangers, electricalwiring for the electrical outlets, fans, heaters, lights and coolers)can be provided within the plenum or chambers. The utilities and forcedair (hot, cold, fresh etc) can be generated by known devices proximatethe fabrication station or supplied from known remote sources dependingon the environment in which the fabrication station is used. The hollowchamber is screwed directly into a trailer or fabrication station walland is preferably a fiberglass component that is very rigid and durable.

The present invention also provides ventilation air intake vents and airexhaust vents for exhausting dust ridden arranged along the fabricationstation so as to create a circulating air barrier (air curtain) betweenthe fabricator's face and the surface of solid sheet material that isbeing worked on. From a fabricator or an employee or worker's vantagepoint, ventilation air is brought in over the user's head to replace theair that is being drawn through the exhaust vents from the counter topnear the fabricator's hands and waistline.

The present invention also provides a table saw assembly that is usefulin the context of a mobile trailer. In particular, the table sawassembly is swingably supported for compact storage between spacedfabrication stations, but is easily swung from its storage position to ahorizontal ready-to-use position during those rare, but indispensabletimes during fabrication when the fabricator needs the table saw.

The fabrication station of the present invention preferably includes abench adjustment rod and bench slat system that eliminates much of thestructural steel in fabrication trailers. The station includes a singlesteel track that runs across the support wall of the fabricationstation. The track sidably supports one of the two ends of a pluralityof spaced slat support channels so that the spaced slat support channelscan slide along the length of the fabrication station, but aremaintained in alignment on a common plane that it essentiallyhorizontal. An adjustment rod is provided to further support andmaintain the alignment of each of the spaced slat support channels. Theadjustment rod is also supported in a track (preferably attached to orformed in the fiberglass hot air plenum or chamber) so that theadjustment rod can slide with the spaced slat support channel that itsupports. The adjustment rod allows fine adjustment of the position ofthe spaced slat support channels. By virtue of this construction, thespaced slat support channels provide a support that is suitably flat atall times.

The fabrication station further includes removable slat portions thatare supported by the spaced slat support channels. The removable slatportions may be made of a sacrificial material. In accordance with thepresent invention, a variety of removable slat portions can be supportedwithin the channels to accommodate different needs. For example, long orshort removable slat portions may be used and angled removable slatportions may be used. Removable slat portions that support longitudinalslats may be used to provide a stiff support. Specialized removable slatportions can also be used. For example, the removable slat portionscould be provided with a hook clamp to hold certain work pieces. Theremovable slat portions could include a series of holes running parallelto the top of the slat to allow the user to hook something in the holeand lock the workpiece down. The removable slat system thus offersmyriad possibilities for supporting workpieces all with the assurancethat the relative levelness in relation to the wall is consistent.

The fabrication station of the present invention also includes switchesdesigned to simplify operation of the various components within thestation. The heat supply units are, for example, connected to switchesthat may be operated on timers. Photo electric switches are providednear other vents so that they can be turned on or off by simply placinga hand near the vent.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention willbecome more apparent from the following detailed description, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is plan view of the mobile fabrication unit according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the fabrication unit taken at lineA—A in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the left side of the interiorof the fabrication unit shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the right side of the interiorof the fabrication unit.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a fabrication station according to thepresent invention integrated into a trailer according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the storage and entry side of the trailer ofFIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the fabrication station side of the trailer ofFIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the trailer of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a dual fabrication station unit accordingto the present invention.

FIG. 9A is a sectional view of a fabrication station unit moduleaccording to the present invention.

FIGS. 9B–D schematically illustrate different configurations of fourfabrication station unit modules of the type shown in FIG. 9A inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of one side of the dual fabrication station unitof FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of another fabrication station unitaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a plan view of one side of the fabrication station unit ofFIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a detail view, partly in section, of a slat support assemblyaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 14A is a side view of a modified removable slat portion that isangled;

FIG. 14B is a side view of a modified removable slat portion thatincludes spaced holes;

FIG. 14C is a side view of a modified removable slat portion thatincludes a clamp;

FIG. 14D is a side view of a modified removable slat portion thatincludes hooks;

FIG. 15 is a side view of a modified removable slat portion thatincludes lateral slots for supporting longitudinally extending slats orwork pieces; and

FIG. 15A is a top view of a three modified removable slat portions ofthe types shown in FIG. 15 supporting longitudinal slats.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The system according to the present invention includes a housing,preferably in the form of a wheeled vehicle body, such as trailer 1, asseen in FIGS. 1–4. For clarity, the wheels of trailer 1 are not shown.

Also, for the purpose of discussion, only the example of a trailer isdiscussed here. However, it is contemplated and emphasized that analternative arrangement of the present invention may, for example, takethe form of a motor vehicle provided with an engine, a steering system,etc. Such motor vehicles may include conventional panel trucks orstepvans having their interiors equipped and laid out according to thepresent invention.

The type of vehicle that can be used is variable, and corresponds to adesired capacity for fabrication and available manpower. For example, asmaller step van may be manned by even a single worker for smaller jobs,whereas a longer trailer may be manned by 2 to 4 workers, and offers anincreased fabrication capacity.

The trailer 1 has transparent or translucent wall and/or ceiling panelswhich transmit ambient exterior light, such as sunlight, to the interiorof the trailer to permit natural light illumination thereof. This helpsto reduce power consumption, and, therefore, operating costs, byreducing the need for electric interior lights.

In addition, some solid surface material stock is supplied in a varietyof colors (e.g., Corian is supplied in 51 colors). Therefore, inprocessing and fabricating the solid surface material, color matching isan important issue. Thus, it is very useful to provide natural sunlightto the interior of the trailer for the purpose considering the “natural”coloring of the solid surface material. In this regard, the presentinventor has found that it is advantageous if at least 50% of thesurface area of the trailer ceiling is made of light transmitting(translucent or transparent) material as shown at 3 in FIG. 2.

In addition, the trailer is preferably provided with task lighting 22under any horizontal shelves that extend above the work surface so thatthe shelves do not cast shadows on the work surface.

The trailer 1 also includes a power supply, such as a conventionalgas-powered generator 10, for generating electricity. Alternatively orin addition, a power line hookup 11 may be provided, whereby electricalpower can be drawn from an onsite source, such as from power cableslocated onsite. Also, a portable power generator may be used, accordingto the present invention. The power requirements according to thepresent invention are expected to be highly variable. However, presentlycontemplated power loads are about 7500–8000 kW.

A plurality of conventional electrical outlets 21 are provided atvarious convenient locations within the trailer 1, such as at intervalsalong an edge of tool shelf 17, discussed further below. The electricaloutlets are provided, for example, in quad-clusters of conventional,three-pronged outlets. All of the electrical outlets are electricallyconnected to the power supply, such as the gas generator 10. Preferably,the outlets and lights are provided on a separate circuit.

The present inventor has found that fabricating efficiency is improvedif there is always an outlet within easy reach of the fabricator.Accordingly, to facilitate fabrication, the trailer preferably includesat least one outlet for every two linear feet of trailer length and theoutlets are provided on at least one of the longitudinal side walls ofthe trailer such that there is no more than three feet between adjacentoutlets, and there is at least one outlet for every two linear feet ofside wall length.

The fabrication of solid sheet materials involves extensive cutting andsanding, which in turn generates significant amount of cutting andsanding dust. In a relatively small enclosed space, such as a trailerwhere fabrication is taking place, much of this dust will be airborne.The presence of excessive amounts of airborne dust can significantlyimpact the working conditions in the trailer in a negative way. Thus,the present inventor has found that it is critical to provideventilation means for removing excess cutting dust.

An active (for example, fan-driven) ventilation unit 12, preferablypowered by the aforementioned power supply, is provided and preferablyincludes an air filtering mechanism to remove particulate matter,especially cutting and sanding dust, generated during the fabricationprocess. In particular, the ventilation system unit draws air out fromthe interior of the trailer 1 and discharges it to the exterior thereof.The air is preferably filtered by the aforementioned air filteringmechanism before being discharged. The air filtering mechanism may beconventional, as long as it is effective for substantially removing theparticulate matter associated with cutting and sanding the solid surfaceconstruction material.

The capacity of the ventilation unit depends, to a large extent, on theinterior volume of the trailer. Since the trailer's height and width aregenerally constant within a narrow range, the necessary ventilationcapacity can be related to the length of the trailer. More specifically,the present inventor has found that to ensure adequate removal ofairborne dust, the trailer should have a ventilation capacity of atleast 100 cubic feet per minute (cfm) for each linear foot of trailerlength. Thus, for example, a 26 foot trailer must have ventilationcapacity of at least 2,600 cfm. Preferably, however, the trailer shouldhave even more ventilation capacity, i.e., in excess of 250 cfm perlinear foot of trailer length. The currently preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, for example, has ventilation capacity of 7,200 cfm ina 25.75 foot trailer or about 280 cfm per linear foot.

In particular, the ventilation system according to the present inventionincludes an elongate exhaust duct 14 connected to the fan-drivenventilation unit 12. The exhaust duct 14 preferably extends along thelongitudinal length of the trailer 1, and more preferably extendssubstantially the entire longitudinal length of the trailer. As shown,the duct 14 has one end adjacent the ventilation unit 12 and one endremote therefrom. The duct 14 preferably tapers toward the remote end sothat the remote end is smaller in at least one direction so that thesectional area of the interior of the duct is smaller at the remote end.The exhaust duct has a plurality of apertures 16 provided therein,through which air is taken in from the interior of the trailer 1. Theapertures 16 can be independently opened or closed in order to provideor even concentrate airflow in particular portions of the interior.

In keeping with the desire for increased efficiency according to thepresent invention, the ventilation unit 12 is actuable by a pull-cableextending along the longitudinal length of the trailer 1. The pull-cableis connected to a microswitch or the like to provide pull-on/pull-offoperation of the ventilation unit 12. Thus, a worker can pull the cablefrom virtually anywhere along the length of the trailer, without havingto go to a specific switch and possibly interfering with coworkers.

In addition, passive vents 34 may be provided in, for example theceiling of trailer 1. The provision of vents 34 provides a consistentairflow inwardly from the vents 34 and outwardly through the apertures16 in the exhaust duct 14.

The trailer 1 is equipped with a plurality of conventional,electric-powered tools (not shown) for fabricating the solid surfacematerial, powered by (i.e., plugged into) the aforementioned electricaloutlets 21. The tools are characteristically distributed throughout theinterior of the trailer 1 so as to be “within arm's reach” fromvirtually any location. This is advantageous because, again, workers donot need to move very far, if at all, within the trailer 1 to reach arequired tool. Therefore, one worker is less likely to interfere withanother's work. Accordingly, productivity increases. The tools providedin the trailer are those conventionally used for solid surface materialfabrication, such as routers, sanders, and the like. Each tool is heldon a tool shelf 17 mounted on a wall portion of the trailer.

The trailer also includes climate control means in the form of heatingand/or cooling systems. Climate control within the trailer is, ofcourse, important to ensure the personal comfort of persons workingwithin the trailer. The present inventor has found, however, that evenmore precise localized climate control is important in the fabricationprocess. In particular, during the fabrication process various adhesivesand other compounds are used to join pieces. The rate of drying of theseadhesives depends on the temperature. The present inventor has foundthat the adhesive will dry too slowly if the temperature in the regionwhere such an adhesive is applied is below 55° F. Conversely, if thetemperature in the region where the adhesive is applied is above 90° F.,the adhesive will dry too quickly. Thus, the fabrication process of thepresent invention preferably includes the step of maintaining the areaaround the solid surface material, particularly the region whereadhesive is applied, at a temperature between 55° F.–90° F. The presentinventor has found that the optimal temperature range is 60° F.–75° F.Thus it is most desirable to provide a climate control means that canmaintain the temperature of the region where adhesive is applied at 60°F.–75° F.

To achieve the desired heating or cooling, the climate control meanspreferably comprises a plurality of climate control units 23 such asradiant heaters, hot air blowers, air conditioners, heat lamps or heatpumps or a combination thereof. The currently preferred embodimentincludes two radiant heaters 23 located under the solid sheet supports.The radiant heaters are spaced along the length of the trailers. Anotherpreferred embodiment includes hot air blowers that are located on thefloor of the trailer. The hot air blowers draw air from beneath thetrailer or from the side of the trailer, heat the air (if desired) andblow the air upward toward the solid surface material that is supportedon the solid surface supports. The heating function can be disabled sothat the blower serves as a cold air blower.

The preferred embodiment of FIG. 1 further includes a cooling unit 23 cat a location near the back of the trailer. The cooling unit extendsfrom a side wall of the trailer.

The location of the climate control units 23 beneath the solid surfacesupport 24 a, 24 b is important because it permits more preciselocalized climate control in the vicinity of the solid surface materialthat is being fabricated in addition to more generalized climatecontrol. Thus, for example, the temperature in the area where adhesiveis being applied can be maintained in the range of 60° F.–75° F. byblowing hot or cold air onto the bottom side of a segment of solidsurface material that is supported on the solid surface support. Byproviding a plurality (two or more) of climate control units 23 that arespaced along the length of the trailer it is possible to control thetemperature at discrete segments of the solid surface material withoutcontrolling the temperature along the entire length of material that isbeing fabricated. Thus, for example, if one person is applying adhesivethat requires temperature control while another person is performing astep that does not require temperature control (e.g., sanding orcutting) the unit that controls the temperature of the section ofmaterial proximate the person applying adhesive can be operated whilethe other unit can be turned off, if desired.

Locating the climate control units 23 beneath the solid surface materialsupports also helps in meeting the challenge of controllingclimate/temperature while at the same time moving large volumes of airto remove dust. Specifically, the present inventor has recognized thatdust removal is particularly significant in the region above the solidsurface material. On the other hand, the inventor has recognized thatthe overall climate within the trailer can be controlled from a varietyof locations within the trailer, but that the temperature in thecritical region where adhesive is applied to the solid surface is bestcontrolled from beneath the solid surface supports. In particular, whensolid surface material is supported on the solid surface supports 24 a,24 b and the ventilation units are provided above the solid surfacematerial, the region beneath the solid surface material is, to someextent, a dead air zone that is not affected by the ventilation units.This is not a problem in connection with ventilation because dustlocated below the solid surface material is not a significant problem.Moreover, since the air is to some extent trapped under the solidsurface material, the temperature of the air will not be significantlyaffected by the ventilation units. In other words, despite the fact thatthe ventilation unit moves large volumes of air the air under the solidsurface material is not as quickly replaced as other air within thetrailer. Thus, it is most efficient to control the temperature of theair in this region so that the temperature of the solid surface material(which is the upper boundary of the dead air region) can be controlledwith some precision. Natural convection and heat exchange provideancillary heating or cooling of the entire trailer. For these reasons,it is an important aspect of the present invention that the climatecontrol units be located under the solid surface supports 24 a, 24 b andthat the ventilation units be located horizontally above the solidsurface supports.

Alternatively or in addition, the trailer 1 could be provided with aplurality of heat lamps 20 distributed through the interior thereof. Theheat lamps raise the temperature within the trailer to promote rapidglue curing in a gluing step of the fabrication process. The heat lamps20 also warm the interior of the trailer 1 in cold weather months tomake working conditions more comfortable for the crew working therein.

In addition to the heat lamps 20, the trailer 1 may be usefully providedwith at least one hot air heater unit which is conveniently located toheat the air within the trailer 1.

Also, the trailer 1 may be provided with one or more “hot boxes” (notshown). A hot box is a small, toaster oven-sized unit which has aninterior space which can be selectively heated. A hot box isparticularly useful for heating adhesive materials used in thefabrication process to a useful temperature level, particularly in coldweather months.

The trailer 1 may also be provided with lighting units to provide, orsupplement, the light within the trailer 1. The lighting units may be,for example, a plurality of conventional lighting units 22 usingincandescent or fluorescent light bulbs. The lighting units 22 aredistributed about the interior of the trailer 1, such as along one orboth of the side walls.

The heat lamps 20 and the lighting units 22, as well as the hot airheater(s), tools, and hot box(es), are powered by the aforementionedgenerator 10 or other power supply. Thus, it is noted here that thegenerator 10, (or alternative power supply), necessarily must be ofsufficient capacity to adequately power the equipment connected thereto.

The electrical system in the trailer 1 preferably includes two circuits,each “guarded” by a respective circuit breaker panel from which powersupply is selectively controlled. One circuit includes the utilities,such as the lighting units, the heat lamps, the hot air blowers, the hotboxes, etc. The second circuit includes the electrical outlets, and,therefore, the fabrication tools, such as routers, sanders, and thelike.

Thus, the heat lamps 20 and lighting units 22 may be turned on and offfrom one of the circuit breaker boxes, which may be located at theforward end of the trailer 1, for example. In an alternativearrangement, the heat lamps 20 and lighting units 22 may be operated bya pull cable system similar to that used with the ventilation system 12,with similar advantages in increasing efficiency.

In a typical arrangement, the heat lamps 20 in the forward and rearward“halves” of the trailer 1 can be independently turned on and off. Thelighting units 22 are collectively turned on and off.

Finally, the trailer 1 includes several shelf spaces and work benchareas. In particular, one side of the trailer is provided with aplurality of spaced apart and generally aligned support struts 24. In aparticular example, the plurality of support struts 24 extend in atransverse direction of the trailer 1 and are substantially parallel toone another. Collectively, the support struts 24 support the solidsurface material while it is being fabricated. When the solid surfacematerial stock is pre-provided with a protruding element, such as awashbasin bowl, the protrusion may be arranged to fit between thesupport struts 24 so that the solid surface material is stillconveniently and securely supported while being fabricated.

The support struts 24 are preferably adjustable with respect to height,direction of extension in a horizontal plane, and angle of extension ina vertical plane. They may, for example, slide along guide rails,grooves, or the like, and lock into a desired position. This can be doneby conventional positional controlling mechanisms such as friction locksor the like.

In a preferred example, each support strut comprises a first portion 24a which is attached to the trailer wall, and second, slidinglyextensible portion 24 b which extends in substantially the samedirection as the first portion 24 a. Thus, the effective length oftransverse extension of each support strut 24 can be selectivelyextended. Each second portion 24 b may, for example, be provided with acleat or other protrusion (not shown) along its bottom edge. The cleatslidingly engages a corresponding groove or slot in first portion 24 a(not shown), such that second portion 24 b can slide back and forth, butcannot be pulled in a direction perpendicular to the direction ofsliding (i.e., directly upwardly).

In a particularly preferable arrangement, each second portion 24 b ismade from a sacrificial material, such as particle board, or lesserquality wood. However, the sacrifical material chosen must maintainsufficient rigidity to securely provide support. The use of asacrificial material here is particularly useful because, when the solidsurface material is trimmed with a router saw and the like, theunderlying second portion 24 b can simply be cut through, withoutneeding to constantly reposition a work piece to avoid the secondportion 24 b. Thus, each second portion 24 b becomes progressivelynicked and partially cut, and is simply and conveniently disposed ofwhen its structural integrity is sufficiently degraded.

At least one workbench area 26 is provided along the side of the traileropposite the plurality of support struts. Preferably, this workbenchcomprises at least one elongated surface extending along the side of theinterior of trailer 1. The aforementioned hot box can be placed on theworkbench 26.

The support struts, with solid surface material supported horizontallythereon, constitutes the principal work surface within the trailer. Itfollows that to achieve efficient space utilization, the supports shouldextend substantially along the entire length of one side wall of thetrailer. Thus, in accordance with another aspect of the presentinvention, support struts are provided along at least 70% of the lengthof the trailer side wall.

In addition, since solid sheet stock material typically comes in 12 ft.lengths, it is preferable that the length of the support surface withinthe trailer and the trailer itself be substantially a multiple of 12.More specifically, the length (L) when measured in feet of the supportsurface, measured in feet should be X(Y), where X is a whole number andY is a length between 12–13 ft. Likewise, the interior length of thetrailer sidewall on which the supports are mounted, when measured infeet, should be X(Y), where X is a whole number and Y is a lengthbetween 12–13 ft.

In addition to the foregoing features, convenience items, such asstorage cabinets and work shelves and storage shelves may be provided inthe interior of the trailer as required or as desired. For example, astorage cabinet 28 extends forward substantially to the front end of thetrailer 1 for storing elongate materials such as particle board strips,straight edges, and bench strips.

Also, underneath the rear workbench 26, slot compartments 25 and 27 maybe provided for storing particle board stock and solid surface materialstock respectively.

An additional cabinet 31 may be provided under the forward workbench 26(see FIG. 4).

Finally, the trailer 1 has at least one, and preferably two doors toallow entry into the interior thereof. A door 30 is provided at the rearend of trailer 1. Door 30 is preferably sized so as to permit full sizedpieces of sheet construction material stock to pass freely therethrough.Also, a door 32 may be provided at the side of the trailer 1 to allowworkers to enter and exit trailer 1.

Both doors are preferably left open, but are installed with a curtain(not shown) thereacross, similar to the type seen in the doorways ofwalk-in commercial freezers. Such curtains are commercially availablefrom, for example, Grangers, an industrial supply store, under the name“Vinyl Slat Door”. In general, the contemplated curtains include aplurality of flexible strips or slats made of plastic or vinyl or thelike and hang, at rest, such that the individual plastic stripscollectively shut off the doorway. This is important to retain heat inthe trailer, for example. Moreover, the curtain structure enables aworker who may have both hands full to simply walk through the curtain(i.e., between the individual plastic strips) to enter and exit thetrailer, without having to open and close a door. In addition, thecurtains offer protection to those immediately outside the doors frombeing sprayed with debris thrown up from the routers and the like.

Finally, the curtains, depending on the material of manufacture, offerprivacy to the workers in the trailer. In a preferable arrangement, inthis regard, a lower portion of the curtain strips is substantiallyopaque to provide privacy, and an upper portion is transparent ortranslucent to permit exterior light to enter the trailer.

The fabrication process according to the present invention involvesbringing the trailer to the worksite, forming a template directly on thesolid surface material, cutting, while in the trailer, the solid surfacematerial according to the template laid out thereon, forming the noseand head portion on the sheet material, and installing the fabricatedsolid surface material. Preferably, the trailer is brought within about100 yards of the worksite because of the need to carry the solid surfacematerial back and forth between the worksite and the trailer. Since thisis frequently done by hand, it is desirable to reduce the distance thesolid surface material needs to be carried. Thus, according to thepresent invention, the solid surface construction material is broughtdirectly onto the worksite, possibly carried by the trailer itself. Bylaying out a template (that is, marking) directly on the solid surfacematerial, the need for the conventional temporary template, as discussedabove, is obviated. In particular, with the increased accuracy ofsubsequent fabrication, an additional fitting or adjusting step isvirtually eliminated when the fabricated solid surface material is putinto place. That is, the fabrication, done according to the presentinvention, is made so much more accurate that little if any adjustmenthas to be made in order for the fabricated piece to fit as desired. Thisvirtual elimination of a complete step is a significant part of the timeand work savings.

In addition, for reasons noted previously, the process of the presentinvention preferably includes the step of maintaining a region of thesolid surface material where adhesive is applied at a temperature withinthe range of 55° F.–90° F. and more preferably within the range of 60°F.–75° F. The process also preferably includes the step of ventilatingthe mobile fabrication unit so as to displace at least 100 cubic feetper minute of air for every foot of mobile fabrication unit length.

FIGS. 5–8 show a fabrication station according to the present inventionintegrated into a trailer 101 that includes a fabrication side wall 102and a storage side wall 103. As shown in FIGS. 5-8, the trailer includestwo fabrication stations 117 along the fabrication sidewall 102 (theleft wall in FIG. 5). Each of the fabrication stations is preferably 12feet long since the solid surface material is typically supplied in 12foot lengths. The term “fabrication station” as used herein refers to acomplete fabrication unit that includes spaced solid surface supports124 for supporting the solid surface material being worked on (i.e., the“work piece”). The solid surface supports 124 include a bench adjustmentrod 124 a, a first slat support channel portion 124 b and a secondslidably extensible portion 124 c. The details of the solid surfacesupport assembly are shown in FIG. 13, which is discussed below. Asdiscussed in detail below in connection with FIGS. 14A–15A, the sidablyextensible or removable slat portions 124 c may be replaced to provide awide variety of support surfaces.

The fabrication stations 117 are integrated into the trailer 101 toprovide a work surface heat supply plenum or chamber 123 that extendssubstantially along the same length of the trailer as the spacedsupports 124. An exhaust (air removal) plenum or chamber 127 with spacedexhaust vents 127 v extends substantially along the length of thetrailer. A heating and ventilation air intake plenum or chamber 129(including spaced vents 129 v) is provided on each side 102,103 of thetrailer substantially along the length of the trailer. The trailer alsoincludes lighting 122, storage shelving 114, a worktable 115 (includingstorage racks), power tool shelving 116 tool storage 119 and a swing uptable saw 131.

As shown, the fabrication station side 102 of the trailer (left side inFIG. 5) includes the continuous chambers or plenums 123, 127 and 129.The chamber sections are hollow to provide forced air passages and alsoprovide routing for all the utilities needed in the particular workstation. The utilities and forced air (hot, cold, fresh etc) can begenerated by known devices proximate the fabrication station or suppliedfrom known remote sources depending on the environment in which thefabrication station is used. The top of the middle chamber 127 providesa tool shelf 116 with a shelf for commonly-used tools within easy reachof the fabricator. Electrical outlets 121 are attached to the chamber127 (but could be arranged along the wall 102) near the tool shelf 116so that the tool stored on the tool shelf are always plugged in andavailable for quick use. If pneumatic tools are to be used, the toolswill be connected to a common compressed air source. A supply shelf 118is also secured to the chamber 127. Task lighting 122 is provided on thelower side of both of the two uppermost plenums 127, 129 to illuminatethe workpiece surface. All the utilities 113 (e.g., compressed air forpneumatic tools, vacuum supply, fuel for heat exchangers, electricalwiring for the electrical outlets, fans, heaters, lights and coolers)can be provided within the plenum or chambers 123, 127 and 129. Again,the utilities and forced air (hot, cold, fresh etc) can be generated byknown devices proximate the fabrication station or supplied from knownremote sources depending on the environment in which the fabricationstation is used.

The exhaust chamber 127 provides passage for exhaust air to an exhaustvent at another end of the vehicle or in the factory to the ventilationsystem in the factory itself. The hollow chambers 123, 127 and 129 arepreferably screwed directly into the wall 102 and are preferably afiberglass component that is very rigid and durable. The supply for theaforementioned utilities (e.g., compressed air lines, vacuum lines, fuellines and electrical wiring) is preferably preconFig.d or “prewired”prior to attachment of the fiberglass component to the support wall 102.As noted earlier, the utilities and forced air (hot, cold, fresh etc)can be generated by known devices proximate the fabrication station orsupplied from known remote sources depending on the environment in whichthe fabrication station is used.

The work surface heating supply chamber 123 is similar to the exhaustchamber except the chamber houses heat supply units that are locatedwithin the chamber. The term “heat supply unit” as used herein isintended to include both separate sources of heat at each location and acommon source of heat that can be selectively applied at each location.Thus, for example, a central source of hot air could be used to supplyhot air to the chamber 123 so that the opening or closing of the vents123 v (possibly associated with the turning on of a fan or blower) woulddetermine whether or not heat was supplied. Alternatively, separateheaters could be provided at each location. In the context shown, namelya mobile fabrication unit, the heat supply units may be propane burnerswith blowers at the heat supply 123 v. In a stand alone environment, onthe other hand, hot water piping that runs to individual heat exchangersor electrical induction may be used as the heat source.

As shown in FIG. 7, there are six heat supply unit vents 123 v (worksurface heating vents) and all six of the vents can be controlledindividually. As detailed below, the activation or deactivation of theheat supply units is preferably controlled by a switch. The switcheither turns on a separate heat supply unit or, in the case of commonheat source, controls the opening or closing of the vents 123 v (throughthe use of a damper with louvers, for example) and/or the turning on ofa fan or blower to initiate or cut off the supply of hot air. Thus, thetrailer 101 has six different heat supply unit locations 123 h (threeassociated with each fabrication station 117) that can either supplyheat or not supply heat. The user can heat all six at once or just pickone and heat it and/or cool air on others or natural air or air from,the surrounding air without running air through them. Providing thefabrication station with spaced heat supply units 123 h allowsfabricators to perform vastly different tasks on a work piece at thesame time. For example, if somewhere along the length of the 12 footworkpiece, (e.g. down three feet from one end) there is an undermountbowl, the fabricator could put that bowl on the work piece and initiatethe surface heat supply units 123 h to warm the bowl area. At the sametime, the fabricator might be putting in some nosing, which doesn'trequire heat. One of the benefits of having discrete surface heat supplyunits 123 in the fabrication station is that the users can do multiplesteps at one time. Thus in the embodiment of the fabrication stationshown in FIGS. 5–8, more precise control of heat is possible. Instead ofhaving the complete bench area heated, or having half the bench bathedin heat, the fabricator can actually isolate a small discrete area.

The embodiment of FIGS. 5–8 also allows the fabricator to direct theheat onto the surface that the fabricator is working on. In particular,as best shown in FIG. 5, the vents 123 v of the heat supply plenum orchamber 123 are angled so as to blow hot air proximate the center of theslidably extensible second slat portion 124 c, which generallycorresponds to the lateral center of the solid surface materialworkpiece.

The fabrication station and method of the present invention are designedto minimize movement of the work-piece to improve efficiency. Ideally,the solid surface material workpiece can be entirely fabricated on thefabrication station. The product is cut to rough size on the bench, itis nosed on the bench, it is flipped back over on the bench, and isrouted on the bench, and it is sanded on the bench.

Another significant aspect of the fabrication station of the presentinvention is the use of circulating air to remove dust and provide anair barrier to protect the fabricator from dust. In the system shown inFIGS. 5–8, there is no down draft type dust removal system. Instead,dust is either pulled off the surface of the work area and into theexhaust vents or allowed to fall to the floor. The user is protectedfrom dust by virtue of an air barrier created by the air circulationsystem of the present invention. Thus, even without a down draft tablesystem, dust generated in small tasks, hand sanding tasks and the likedoes not interfere with the user's breathing.

As indicated by arrows in FIG. 5, ventilation air is coming in over theuser's head right towards user's face, right toward the user's breathingarea. The air intake helps to make up some of the air that the exhaustvent system is removing and thus prevents or minimizes a negative airpressure build up within the trailer. Because the intake 129 v is high,and the exhaust vents 127 v are lower (about belt-high on the user) anairflow barrier (or air curtain) is maintained between the user's faceand the work piece being worked on. The air flow barrier tends to forcethe dust in its natural direction, which is down, keeping the air nearthe fabricator's face (the air the fabricator is breathing) very cleanair and forcing dust and debris right out the exhaust vent or onto thefloor.

The heating and ventilation intake or supply chamber 129 is providednear the top of the fabrication station. In the embodiment shown, thereare eight heating and ventilation vents 129 v across the top. Theheating and ventilation air supplied could be hot air or it could becold air. In the embodiment shown, the heating and ventilation vents 129v are controlled in groups of four (front and back) since there is noneed for discrete precision ventilation. Typically, four of the ventsare open and four of the vents are closed. For example, the front fourmay be open while the back four are closed off, or vice versa. Thetemperature of the intake air is basically a matter of the fabricator'spreference, but the air should be relatively dust free.

In the trailer installation shown in FIGS. 5–8, heating and ventilationintake vents are provided on the opposite side of the trailer. All ofthis ventilation is provided for the fabricator's comfort. The air ofthe vehicle changes very quickly. The exhaust vents are moving atremendous amount of cubic feet of air out of the vehicle, so a lot ofmakeup air is needed. In a factory setting, the fabrication station willnot require the same intake air capacity because the ambient air willeasily replace the air drawn through the exhaust vents 127 v and createan effective air barrier even without the intake vents 129 v.

In the context of a trailer, it is preferred that the capacity of theintake air chamber (through open vents) should be equal to or exceed thecapacity of the exhaust chamber so that there is a positive pressurewithin the chamber that tends to push air out of the trailer. In otherwords, the interior of the trailer 101 has an air pressure slightlygreater than the exterior so that air can be readily exhausted. The airthat is exhausted through the exhaust vents 127 v will be filtered.

The reason for having the intake valves 129 v and having a lot of intakeis that simply exhausting air, drawing air out, without drawing air inwould create a negative pressure—a vacuum—in the trailer. In a closedtrailer, the fabricator has a difficult time opening the doors if theexhaust exceeds the intake. There is a tremendous vacuum, and thatcauses problems in terms of trying to vent out dust-laden air.

FIG. 8 shows the size of the bench slat system in comparison to the sizeand the distribution of the heat supply units 123 h that are in thatsystem thus demonstrating how much of the bench can be covered by havingdirectional vents on the heat supply units. FIG. 8 shows that the heatsupply units are near, but not quite, to the center of the work surface(which extends to the end of the supports). As shown in FIG. 5.,however, the heat supply unit discharge vent 123 v is angled. The angleof discharge will cause the heated air to go directly to the center ofthe sheet if the sheet is placed directly on top of the slat system 124.

FIG. 8 also shows that the fabrication station 117 is interrupted by theswinging table saw assembly 131. This feature is unique to the mobiletrailer use of the fabrication station since a factory ordinarily has atable saw in a different location.

The table saw, indicated schematically at 131, is mounted to a swingingtable surface. When the table saw table is horizontal (as most tablesaws will be) the fabricator can pull a lever and the table saw surfacewill swing down so that the table will move into a storage position—outof the fabricator's way so that it doesn't protrude any further. Duringfabrication a fabricator needs the table saw a couple of times a day,but one does not use it very often. So the swing-up table saw providesthe ability to pull a lever and swing the table saw down and out of theway unless needed. The saw 131 is pre-plugged in ( pre-powered), and ithas vacuum exhaust connected directly to it, which is running throughthe exhaust duct. In the trailer, the table saw is a large source ofdust. By putting a vacuum to the saw which is connected, which isactually running through the fiberglass chamber 127 up into the areawhere there is a vacuum, air can be drawn out at the same time. Theswinging table saw construction ensures that a saw is available whenneeded, but does not interfere with fabrication at other times.

When the fabrication station is used in a factory type setting, aswingable table saw is not needed. Instead, there is a separate tablesaw set up for use by all fabricators.

Another aspect of the present invention is the bench adjustment rod andbench slat that eliminates much of the structural steel in the trailer.The system shown in FIG. 5 and in detail in FIG. 13 requires only onesteel track 102 t that runs across the wall 102 horizontally, from thefront of the vehicle to the back of the vehicle or from the front of oneof the free-standing factory units to the other end to allow theadjustment of the channel support from side to side along the track. Thesliding channel support portion is supported in the track.

A bench adjustment rod assembly 124 a has one end slidably supported ina track 123 t that is preferably attached to or provided in the front ofthe fiberglass chamber 123. The other end of the bench adjustment rodassembly 124 a supports a sliding channel support portion 124 b. Thebench adjustment rod assembly 124 a includes a turnbuckle construction,shown in FIG. 13, that allows fine adjustment. A significant advantageof this construction is that the bench slat system 124 is suitably flatat all times, unlike sawhorses in a factory. In a factory using sawhorses and the like, one must rely on the saw horse being in goodcondition and the straight edges being straight. In contrast, with thepresent invention, both in a trailer and in a factory, the ability toadjust the levelness of the slat channel supports 124 b using the benchadjustment rod assembly 124 a ensures a flat support. The turn-buckle ofthe threaded rod 124 a assembly allows all necessary adjustment and canbe locked into position once alignment is set so that the top of thosebenches would be perfectly flat all the time, even though the slatsupport channels can slide longitudinally along the track 102 t. Theprovision of a fabrication surface that is consistently flat is veryimportant because if the counter top is formed crooked, it will beinstalled crooked.

Since the bench or fabrication surface should be flat all the time, thebench is mounted (through a track such as 102 t) to the fabricationstation support wall 102 or to the side wall 102 of the trailer. In thisway, movement will not alter the relative position of the bench. Theonly thing that will alter the flatness of the bench is thedeterioration of the removable slat portion 124 c itself. The slat 124c, which is ordinarily made of sacrificed material, gets cut up andhacked up over time. The slat portion 124 c may have to be removed,recut and replaced periodically. One may readjust the support portion124 a, 124 b to accommodate the new slat 124 c, if necessary.

When the fabrication station is used in a trailer, the track 102 ispreferably bolted directly to the side of the vehicle. In a stand-alonefabrication station used in a factory setting, the track 102+ is securedto a support wall 102 of the unit itself so that the supports 124 do notrest upon the floor or its surroundings in any way. Thus, the relativeflatness of the support is maintained by ensuring that the slat supportchannels lie on a plane.

Thus, the support system of the present invention provides a flat worksurface regardless of the conditions of the surface that the trailer orfabrication station is resting on. A trailer may not be level, but thekey is a perfectly true work surface. In a factory it really doesn'tmake any difference if the floor is level, so long as the top surface ofall the slat portions 124 c lie on a plane (within acceptabletolerances).

As shown in FIG. 5., the bench adjustment rod 124 a is supporting a onepiece slat support channel 124 b that holds the sacrificial material, inthe form of a slat 124 c that pulls in and out.

Ordinarily, the slat portions 124 c are made of sacrificed material, butthe standard slat portions can also be removed and special slat portionscan be inserted to accommodate different needs. For example, theparticular slat portion 124 c shown is 32 inches, but it can be removedand replaced with a 48 inch slat portion. In the trailer, the length ofthe slats might be limited to 48 inches, but outside a trailer, in afactory, for example, much bigger slats could be in. Much biggersupports could be put in with some temporary legs or some other type ofreinforcing.

The slat channel support 124 b itself always stays in the wall, but thechannel portion 124 b moves side-to-side. Thus, if the worker has a verysmall top piece it might be necessary to use two slats 124 c very closetogether. On the other hand, it would be necessary to separate the slats124 c if a work piece includes an abnormally large bowl that hangs downbetween the slats.

The slat support channels 124 b are adjusted, very simply by slidingalong the track on the back wall. The threaded rod 124 a will not needto be adjusted. Instead, the threaded rod, and turnbuckle type rodadjustment will just slide in the track 123 t that is provided on or inthe duct or chamber 123.

Another new feature on the fabrication station system is the use ofother types of slats 124 c that can be slipped in the support channels124 b to accommodate different needs. Examples are shown in FIGS.14A–15A.

FIG. 14A, for example, shows slats 124 c′ that are angled so as tosupport the workpiece at an angle to the fabricator so when we areworking on a bowl or making vanities can be used. The system allows theuser to pull out the parallel slat 124 c and put in an angled slat 124c′ that may be four inches in the front and 18 inches in the back. Asshown, the angled slat 124 c′ may have a tongue to support the piece tobe worked on. The use of angled slats also helps the exhaust vents worka little bit better.

So by using the channel for supporting what was called in the pastsacrificial slats, it also gives you the possibility of havingadjustable surface areas by putting in slats of different shapes andangles to support the different workpieces in an optimal fashion. Theuse of angled slats is advantageous in supporting the edging of materialin a position that facilitates sanding. For example, backsplash andbacksplash is normal three or four inches high.

As shown in FIG. 15, the present invention provides a grooved slat 124c″″′ to support the backsplash; the fabricator can pull out our regulareveryday sacrificial slat 124 c and put in a slat that has grooves 124 gcut into it. The backsplash fits right into to grooves and doesn't flipflop when you try to sand the edges of it.

Various other slat designs are possible. To begin with, angled slatswork in some applications real well such as supporting backsplash forsmall counters. In addition, as shown in FIG. 14C, slats 124 c′″ thathave their own clamping device 124D, on them can be provided. Forexample, one could put a sheet down and then hook the other side of theslat or to the slat itself and clamp the material. Anotherconfiguration, shown in FIG. 14B, provides a series of holes 124 hrunning parallel to the top of the slat 124 c″ to allow the user to hooksomething in the hole and lock the sheet down. Hooks 124 k may also beprovided as shown in FIG. 14D.

The removable slat system offers myriad possibilities for supportworkpieces all with the assurance that the relative levelness inrelation to the wall is consistent. As shown in FIGS. 15 and 15A, theslat system includes slats 124 c″″′ that can support slats 124L thatextend longitudinally. The longitudinal slats can be used to reinforcethe countertops as shown to provide a very rigid and straight surfacethat extends continuously from one end of the fabrication station ortrailer, if desired. The slats 124L shown are flush with the lateralslats, but this is not necessary. The top of the slats 124L could beabove or below the top of the lateral slats 124 c″″′ to accommodatedifferent needs.

The slotted slats 124 c″41 ′ could also be used to support long thinwork pieces such as windowsills or moldings. The grooves 124 g could beshaped to support specific types or shapes of work pieces. This featureoffers significant advantages in connection with fabrication jobs thatinvolve atypical pieces. For example, a windowsill may be 8–12 inchesdeep and have to be nosed, even though it is thin and fragile unlike a30 inch wide sheet or a 25 inch wide sheet. In consequence, the sillwould sag in between some of these slats. One doesn't want to readjust,the location of all of the bench slats because they work well foreveryday production. So instead, the longitudinal secondary slats 124Lsupported by notched slats 124 c″″′ are used. Longitudinal slats 124Lcan also be used with the lateral slats to create a “box” for supportinga sink bowl or similar piece.

Yet another important aspect of the present invention is the use of easyto use switches to control various components. The nature of thefabrication process, whether in a trailer or at a fabrication station ina factory, requires the fabricator to be consistently moving along thelength of the trailer or fabrication station. The present inventor hasrecognized that there are tremendous opportunities for improvedefficiency if the fabricators can avoid the hassle of moving along thelength of the trailer or fabrication station every time one of thecomponents has to be switched on or off. Thus, to facilitate thefabrication process, the present invention preferably includes remoteswitching capability for the most commonly switched components.

The heat supply units 123 are, for example, connected to switches 123 sthat may be operated on timers. Thus, a fabricator working at the mostforward end of the vehicle should be able to reach up and switch on atimer and put 15 minutes of heat on a workpiece at a time and then walkaway and do something else and that heat supply unit 123 under the bowlwill blow its warm air out on that sheet for 15 minutes. Timers areuseful in the context of heat supply units, since the rate of drying ispredictable, so that the timers can be set to blow just long enough todry the adhesive. Should the fabricator find out that that theparticular workpiece that was just made isn't quite dry yet, he can giveit another 10 minutes on the heat supply units. The fabrication station117 provides the option to either continue to bathe the workpiece inwarm air or if the piece is dry already, to just reach up and turn theheat off and then start sanding it, putting it and so on and so forth.In this way, control of discrete heat sources is right at thefabricator's fingertips.

For components whose frequency and duration of use is less predictable,other forms of remote switching are preferable. In accordance with thepresent invention, the fabrication station of the present invention usesphotoelectric cells 142 to control switches. As shown, in FIGS. 5 and 6,the photoelectric cells 142 may be provided as far away as opposite endsof the station or as near as opposite ends of a vent to be controlled.Known photoelectric switch technology can be used on opposite sides of avent so that a beam passes directly across the exhaust vent grill. Afabricator standing at the bench can touch the grill, the beam will beinterrupted and trigger a surface to turn the vents on. If thefabricator is down on the other end of the vehicle and decides that hedoes not want that vent on or that the vent is not necessary, he cansimply pass his hand across that beam to shut that vent off. A very easyway to turn on and off which is important when one is in the midst ofthe fabrication process.

The photoelectric switch 142 can be used anywhere in the fabricationstation, whether in a trailer or in a factory vehicle. The same appliesto the intakes over the fabricator's head (which are preferably operatedin groups of four). There will be a beam location above, aninconspicuous beam location so that the fabricator has to put my handthere to trigger air intakes on and air intakes off.

The photoelectric cells 142 are particularly useful in an elongatedfabrication station or trailer environment where the user may be 12 ormore feet from a switch located, but able to switch a vent (intake orexhaust) on or off with a wave of a hand. The photo cells are preferablyused on all of the vents except for the heat supply units, which areoperating on timer switches, as mentioned before. An alternative remoteswitch to photoelectric cells 142 is cables, but they are awkward.

As explained above, innovations such as discrete area heat supply units123 and replaceable slats 124 c are useful in a variety of fabricationenvironments and are not limited to a trailer, for example. Thus, inaccordance with another aspect of the present invention, the fabricationstations may be designed a stand-alone units for use in a factory orshop setting. Examples of such stand-alone fabrication stations 117 willnow be described in connection with FIGS. 9–12. These examples areexemplary and not limiting. Those skilled in the art will appreciatethat, in most instances, the features described in the context of amobile trailer are applicable to a stand-alone unit and vice versa.Indeed, “stand-alone” units may be mounted on a mobile platform toprovide a mobile fabrication station. The suitability and practicalityof each of these features depends on the fabricator's particular needs.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 9–12, the stand alone fabricationstation 117 is a 12 foot long unit that includes a horizontal base 110and a vertical wall 102 extending upward from the base. When a centralvacuum source is available, a blast gate 110BG is preferably provided inthe base to provide a convenient way of removing dust that falls to thefloor. If desired, conventional leveling devices 110L can be provided onthe base or the base 110 can be flat. Each fabrication station 117 has a12 foot long work surface provided by solid surface material supports124 spaced along the length of the unit. The fabrication station alsoincludes a 12 foot long heat supply plenum or chamber 223, a 12 footlong exhaust (air removal) plenum or chamber 227 with spaced exhaustvents, lighting, shelving, power tool shelving and a 12 foot longheating and ventilation air intake plenum or chamber 229. As explainedpreviously in connection with the trailer embodiment, providing a 12foot fabrication workbench unit with spaced heat supply units allowsfabricators to perform vastly different tasks on a work piece at thesame time. Again, a benefit of having discrete surface heat supply unitson the fabrication table is that the users can do multiple steps at onetime.

The details of the supports (124 a–124 c), vents, switches, lights andshelves can be the same as in the trailer embodiments as describedabove. Again, the ability to precisely control the environment in adiscrete area of the work surface that does not necessarily require anenclosed environment because it is not necessary to change thetemperature throughout the room. The fabricator is just working on spotsso that quite often the real key is to have the ability to heat discreteareas of the product.

Although the innovations described above in the context of trailers areapplicable to stand-alone fabrication stations, the design ofstand-alone fabrication stations is not constrained by the spacelimitations inherent in designing a fabrication station for use within atrailer. For this reason, different configuration might be advantageousin a factory. For instance, in some environments, it is not necessary tohave a wall devoted to storage (which is the case in the trailer),although the right hand wall is convenient to place one's tools on,place supplies and one's mixing the seam kits and so on. In a factorysetting, for example you could provide storage and the like, byelongating the work unit. A 12-foot work unit could be extended to 16feet with a four-foot area at the end that would give you a work surfaceand storage area

In a factory or shop setting one might have back-to back fabricationstations on opposite sides of one another, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10.In this example, it might be desirable to extend the station beyond 12feet in length to allow for storage so that you would have basically onewall 102 with two stations 117A and 117B each of which that hadeverything the fabricator needed to fabricate a piece of solid sheetmaterial. An alternative, shown in FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 is to have afabrication station 117 on one side of the wall 102 and storage on theopposite side.

The fabrication stations 117 can also be constructed as fabricationstation modules that have a flat back as shown in FIG. 9A so that thefabrication stations 117 can be arranged in variety of configurationssuch as those shown in FIGS. 9B–D from back-to-back (FIG. 9C) to alongan interior or exterior wall (FIG. 9B) to “cubicle” arrangement (FIG.9D) around a table or worksurface. The fabrication stations 117 could beprovided with wheels 110W to facilitate relocation.

Even greater productivity is possible with configurations such as thoseshown in FIGS. 9C–D. For example, the fabricator could work on a 12 footsheet, and turn right around and work on another sheet while that firstsheet is drying. The user can go back and forth from one surface to theother. There should also be some provision to have a flat surfacesomewhere that either could be a flat surface that is placed on top ofmy bench flat system when there is no solid surface counter top orsomething that is on the end of this fabrication unit.

Having back to back work areas like this also provides efficiencies interms of heat supply, air intake and things like that. With regard toheat, there could be a common source of heat that could be directed toeither side of a combined machine. One possibility, shown in FIG. 9, isto provide passages 102 p that allow communication between the plenumson opposite sides of the wall 102. A common plenum or chamber could alsobe used. As for air intake, it is possible to have a common intake whichmight be more powerful to serve both sides of the dual sided fabricationtable at once or passages 102 p could be provided. The air intake couldthus be directed to either side (or both sides) of the dual work unitmachine.

With regard to exhaust, fabrication facilities often have vacuum systemsin them for other purposes so a vacuum source is ordinarily available.Thus, the exhaust plenum or plenums 127 may connected to a centralvacuum source. The vacuum systems in most shops are connected to some ofthe bigger equipment, big table saws, big panel saws, banding equipment,roofing equipment, the big machines that produce a lot of saw dust. Asnoted above, a blast gate 110BG can be provided in the base 110 of thefabrication station 117 so that suction can be supplied to selectivelycollect dust that falls to the floor. Few shops have small connectionsto be able to connect to sanders, for example, it is too cumbersome, toodifficult to sand when one is pulling a hose and a wire, so vacuums areordinarily not used for finishing equipment except in the context ofdown draft tables.

A down draft table has a more or less fixed location. As a consequence,pieces must be moved to the table to be worked on. In contrast, with thesystem of the present invention, the product never has to be moved afterit is placed on the fabrication station. The product is cut to roughsize on the bench—it is nosed on the bench, it is flipped back over onthe bench and is routed on the bench, and it is sanded on the bench. Inthe system of the present invention, there is no down draft type ofsystem, instead, air is pulled off the surface of the work area throughthe exhaust vents. While dust might fall to the floor, the air the useris breathing in the small tasks, the hand sanding tasks, ventilation airis coming in over the user's head right towards you face, right towardthe user's breathing area, that is actually helping to make up some ofthe air that the exhaust vent system is removing. Thus, an importantaspect of the present invention is the provision of ventilation airintake and dust ridden air exhaust vents arranged along the fabricationtable so as to create a circulation air barrier between the fabricator'sface and the surface of solid sheet material that is being worked on.

So, from a fabricator or an employee or worker's vantage point,ventilation air is brought in over the user's head to replace the airthat is being drawn off the counter top near the fabricator's hands andwaistline.

At the same time that the heat is coming from underneath the sheet towarm that sheet to expedite it's drying. So the user gets the benefit ofa high degree of different climate control—the benefits of everythingthat one needs to fabricate without ever having to move the work piece.

In a factory setting, the fabrication stations would preferably includea heat supply 123, an exhaust vent 127 that might be connected into thevacuum supply of the factory and an intake valve 129 that providesventilation air. The ventilation air may be either brought in fromoutside or just brought in from above the unit. It doesn't have to beoutside air it just has to be free air. This aspect of the design offabrication stations will be driven to a large extent by ambientclimate. A fabricator in Maine will probably use air from inside thebuilding during the winter. A fabricator in Dallas, Tex., may useoutside during the winter.

In addition a variety of heat sources can be used in a factory setting.For example, heat for the work surface heat supply heat exchangers couldbe piped in from a hot water boiler somewhere in or near the factorysomewhere. Most fabrication factories have the circulating hot waterheater system because open flames are not acceptable.

The foregoing disclosure of embodiments of the present invention hasbeen presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise formsdisclosed. Many variations and modifications of the embodimentsdescribed herein will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art inlight of the above disclosure. For example, the features described inconnection with FIGS. 12–15A are selectively applicable to any of thetrailer or stand-alone fabrication stations described herein. The scopeof the invention is to be defined only by the claims appended hereto,and by their equivalents. Thus, while the present invention has beendescribed with respect to what are believed to be the most practicalembodiments thereof, it is particularly noted that this is by way ofexample only, and appropriate modifications and variations thereof arepossible within the spirit and scope of the claims appended hereto.

1. A solid surface material fabrication station for fabricating a solidsurface material, the fabrication station comprising: a support wall; aplurality of spaced-apart supports that extend from the support wall anddefine a solid surface support for supporting the solid surface materialto be fabricated such that the solid surface material to be fabricatedextends at least across two of the supports so as to define a regionbeneath the solid surface to be fabricated extending from the floor tothe solid surface material to be fabricated and a region above the solidsurface material to be fabricated corresponding to a region where aworker's face will ordinarily be while working on the solid surfacematerial to be fabricated; a plurality of spaced heat supply unitslocated below the solid surface support, each of the heat supply unitsbeing positioned so as to heat a portion of the surface of the solidsurface material to be fabricated, and the heat supply units beingswitchable on and off; an air exhaust chamber connected to a source ofair suction and a plurality of air exhaust vents spaced along the lengthof the fabrication station for drawing air from the vicinity of thesolid surface material being fabricated into the air exhaust chamber,the air exhaust vents being located above, but near the surface of thesolid surface material to be fabricated; and a ventilation air intakechamber and a plurality air intake vents located above the air exhaustvents for discharging ventilationair from the ventilation air intakechamber; wherein the air intake vents are located relative to theexhaust vents so as to create a circulating air barrier between the faceof a fabricator working on the solid surface material to be fabricatedand the surface of the solid surface material to be fabricated.
 2. Thefabrication station of claim 1, further comprising a base from which thesupport wall extends and wheels connected to the base to allow the baseto roll.
 3. The fabrication station of claim 1, further comprising aplurality of spaced-apart supports that extend from the support wall oneach side of the support wall so as to provide fabrication stations onboth sides of the support wall.
 4. A solid surface material fabricationstation for fabricating a solid surface material, the fabricationstation comprising: a support wall; a plurality of spaced-apart supportsthat extend from the support wall and define a solid surface support forsupporting the solid surface material to be fabricated such that thesolid surface material to be fabricated extends at least across two ofthe supports so as to define a region beneath the solid surface to befabricated extending from the floor to the solid surface material to befabricated and a region above the solid surface material to befabricated corresponding to a region where a worker's face willordinarily be while working on the solid surface material to befabricated; and a plurality of spaced-apart supports that extend fromthe support wall on each side of the support wall so as to providefabrication stations on both sides of the support wall. wherein thefabrication stations on each side of the support wall include aplurality of spaced heat supply units located below the solid surfacesupport; an air exhaust chamber connected to a source of air suction;and a ventilation air intake chamber.
 5. The fabrication station ofclaim 4, wherein the air exhaust chambers communicate with one anotherand the ventilation air intake chambers communicate with one another. 6.A solid surface material fabrication station for fabricating a solidsurface material, the fabrication station comprising: a support wall; aplurality of spaced-apart supports that extend from the support wall anddefine a solid surface support for supporting the solid surface materialto be fabricated such that the solid surface material to be fabricatedextends at least across two of the supports so as to define a regionbeneath the solid surface to be fabricated extending from the floor tothe solid surface material to be fabricated and a region above the solidsurface material to be fabricated corresponding to a region where aworker's face will ordinarily be while working on the solid surfacematerial to be fabricated; and a track secured to the support wall,wherein the plurality of spaced-apart supports comprise a plurality ofsupports that are slidably mounted within the track along the supportwall, each of the supports comprising a slat support channel portionhaving one end slidably received within the track and a removable slatportion that is supported by the slat support channel portion but isextensibly movable toward and away from the support wall relative to theslat support channel portion.
 7. A solid surface material fabricationstation for fabricating a solid surface material according to claim 6,the fabrication station further comprising a plurality of spaced heatsupply units located below the solid surface support, each of the heatsupply units being positioned so as to heat a portion of the surface ofthe solid surface material to be fabricated, and the heat supply unitsbeing switchable on and off.
 8. The fabrication station of claim 6,further comprising an air exhaust chamber connected to a source of airsuction and a plurality of air exhaust vents spaced along the length ofthe fabrication station for drawing air from the vicinity of the solidsurface material being fabricated into the air exhaust chamber, the airexhaust vents being located above, but near the surface of the solidsurface material to be fabricated.
 9. The fabrication station of claim6, further comprising a ventilation air exhaust chamber and a pluralityair intake vents located above the air intake vents for dischargingventilation air from the ventilation air intake chamber; and wherein theair intake vents are located relative to the exhaust vents so as tocreate a circulating air barrier between the face of a fabricatorworking on the solid surface material to be fabricated and the surfaceof the solid surface material to be fabricated.
 10. The fabricationstation of claim 6, further comprising an adjustable support thatsupports each slat support channel portion so that the position of theslat support channel portions is adjustable relative to the support walland one another to provide a fine adjustment.
 11. The fabricationstation of claim 6, further comprising removable slat portions ofdifferent sizes and shapes that can be supported within the slat supportchannel portion so that the supports are adjustable to accommodatedifferent shapes of solid surface material to fabricated.
 12. Thefabrication station according to claim 11, wherein the removable slatportion of the supports is made from a sacrificial material such that atleast a portion of the solid surface material to be fabricated issupported on a support that can be cut with solid surface fabricatingtools during the fabrication process without damaging the tools.
 13. Thefabrication station of claim 6, further comprising a plurality ofspaced-apart supports that extend from the support wall on each side ofthe support wall so as to provide fabrication stations on both sides ofthe support wall.
 14. The fabrication station of claim 13, wherein thefabrication stations on each side of the support wall include aplurality of spaced heat supply units located below the solid surfacesupport; an air exhaust chamber connected to a source of air suction;and ventilation air intake chamber.
 15. The fabrication station of claim14, wherein the air exhaust chambers communicate with one another andthe ventilation air intake chambers communicate with one another.